Environmental Support | Physical Activity Interventions

Environmental support for physical activity^1-2

Environmental support provides a worksite physically designed to encourage good health.

Worksite campus design encourages incorporating physical activity into daily routines

• Encouraging employee physical activity on-site can include building safe walking trails or paths on the company campus, installing showers for joggers and exercisers, and installing gyms with aerobic and weight training equipment (with instructions on proper equipment use)

Encouraging stairwell use is easy and effective

• Encouraging stairwell use deserves special attention as it is an inexpensive, proven approach to increasing employee physical activity. Use of “point of decision” signs (i.e., brief messages encouraging stairwell use) near elevators or escalators can increase stair use (median net increase of 53.9%)
• Effective encouragement requires more than signs. Improvements in stairwell safety and appearance, such as carpeting and lighting to make stair climbing more secure and bright wall colors to increase stairwell appeal are relatively inexpensive ways to enhance stair use